INCLUSIVE

EDUCATION
AL
STRATEGIES AND TECHNIQUES
DESIGN
FOR A DIVERSE STUDENT
POPULATION
University of the People
Master of Education in Advanced Teaching
EDUC5711: Teaching for Diverse and Inclusive
Classrooms
Unit Two: Organizing Instruction of Diverse
Students
Written Assignment Unit Two
Dr. Bertrand Tchoumi [Instructor]
Wednesday, April 24, 2024
 Inclusivity
Designing learning experiences
that are welcoming and accessible
to students from all backgrounds,
abilities, and learning styles. This
involves recognizing the diversity
within the student population—be
it cultural, socioeconomic, or
based on physical and learning
abilities—and ensuring that this
diversity is reflected and
respected in the classroom
materials, activities, and
pedagogical approaches (Sanger,
2020)
Flexibility
Creating spaces and curricula that
can be adjusted to meet the needs
of each student. This includes
flexible seating arrangements,
customizable learning paths, and
adaptive technologies that assist
students with different needs
(Tomlinson, 2014).
Universal Design for Learning
(UDL)
Implementing a framework that
offers multiple means of
representation, expression, and
engagement. UDL aims to remove
barriers to learning by providing
diverse students with various
ways of accessing information,
demonstrating knowledge, and
staying motivated (Mackey et al,
2023).
Differentiated Instruction
Tailoring instruction to meet the
different needs of students based
on their readiness, interests, and
learning profiles. This could
involve varying the content,
process, products, or the learning
environment (Tomlinson, 2001).

BRIEF

0VERVIE When planning and designing educational environments for a diverse

student population, it's crucial to consider a set of foundational
principles that ensure all students have equitable access to learning
opportunities and resources (Landsman & Lewis, 2023).
 Cultural Competence
Educators need to be culturally
competent, understanding and integrating
students' cultural contexts into the
educational process. This enhances
student engagement and learning
outcomes by making the content relevant
to their real-life experiences (Brown-Jeffy
& Cooper, 2011).
Collaborative Learning Environments
Encouraging collaboration not only
among students but also between
educators and students to foster a
supportive learning community. Peer
interactions and cooperative learning
strategies can help build social skills and
promote a sense of community (Bielaczyc
& Collins, 2013).
Feedback and Assessment
Implementing ongoing assessments and
feedback mechanisms that are
constructive and inclusive. Assessments
should be varied to cater to different
learning styles and provide students with
opportunities to showcase their
knowledge in different ways (Salend,
2010)

BRIEF

0VERVIE By adhering to these principles, educators can design

educational experiences that are equitable, engaging, and
effective for all students, thereby promoting an inclusive
learning environment (Landsman & Lewis, 2023).
Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is an educational framework based
on research in the learning sciences, including cognitive neuroscience,
that guides the development of flexible learning environments and
learning spaces that can accommodate individual learning differences. It
recognizes that each student learns uniquely and suggests that curricula
should be designed from the outset to accommodate all learners Rose &
Strangman, 2007).

UNIVERSAL

LEARNI
DESIGN FOR
 Multiple Means of
Representation
This principle focuses on
providing learners with
different ways to acquire
information and knowledge. It
suggests using a variety of
methods to present content
and making it accessible for
all, considering different
sensory abilities and learning
styles. This could include
using text, videos, audio, and
hands-on materials
(Rosenshine, 2012).
Key Principles of
UNIVERSAL
LEARNI
DESIGN FOR
Multiple Means of Action and
Expression
Recognizing that individuals
express what they know
differently, this principle
emphasizes the importance of
allowing learners to
demonstrate their knowledge
in various ways. This could
involve writing, speaking,
drawing, or using some other
form of media or technology
(Rose et al, 2006).
Multiple Means of
Engagement
This principle stresses the
need for tapping into learners'
interests, offering appropriate
challenges, and increasing
motivation. It encourages
using diverse techniques to
engage students, such as
offering choices of content
and tools, adjusting levels of
challenge, and fostering
collaboration and community
(Luna Scott, 2015).
UDL aims to remove barriers to learning by
designing flexible paths to success, which
are embedded in the curriculum from the
start, rather than making accommodations
after the fact.
Differentiated Instruction is an educational strategy that involves modifying teaching
approaches, materials, and learning activities to cater to the diverse needs, interests, and
abilities of individual students within a classroom. The goal is to provide each student
with learning opportunities that are tailored to their specific learning profile, ensuring
that every student can succeed and progress (Tomlinson, 2014).

DIFFERENTIATED

INSTRUCT
 Assessment-Driven
Differentiation begins with
an understanding of student
differences, which is
typically assessed through
pre-tests, observations, and
continuous feedback. This
ongoing assessment helps
teachers understand the
learning levels, interests,
and readiness of their
students (Tomlinson, 2014).
Key Aspects of Designing and Implementing
DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCT
Flexible Grouping
Students are grouped and
regrouped based on specific
goals, interests, or
individual learning needs.
Groups can be dynamic,
changing as needed to
reflect the focus of learning,
ensuring that instruction is
targeted and effective
(Castle et al, 2005)
Varied Learning Materials Choice
Differentiated Instruction is
Offering multiple types of Providing students with
learning materials and choices in their learning about creating multiple paths to
resources supports the activities fosters motivation learning that consider various
diverse needs of students. and engagement. Choices abilities and interests within the
This includes multimedia can be related to the type of classroom.
presentations, reading task, the tools used, the
materials at various levels, topics explored within a
and interactive activities concept, or the mode of
that appeal to different expressing what they have
learning styles (visual, learned (Evans & Boucher,
auditory, kinesthetic) 2015)
(Ahmad, 2015).
 Tiered-Assignments
Tasks are adjusted in
complexity based on the
learner’s proficiency level.
This allows all students to
start with a common
understanding but advance
through content or skills at
a pace suited to their
readiness level, which can
be more challenging or
more supportive as needed.
Key Aspects of Designing and Implementing
DIFFERENTIATED
INSTRUCT
Individual Learning Plans
Tailoring instruction to
meet individual goals and
needs may involve creating
specific learning plans for
some students, particularly
those who need significant
adaptations in instruction.
Teaching Strategies
Employing a range of
instructional strategies such
as direct instruction,
inquiry-based learning,
problem-solving, and
cooperative learning to arrangements that allow for
meet different learning
needs.
Learning Environment
Creating a classroom
environment that is Differentiated Instruction is an
responsive to learner approach that seeks to maximize
variability. This includes student engagement and learning by
physical space
recognizing and respecting the diverse
individual work, small ways that students absorb and
group activities, and large demonstrate their knowledge.
group instruction.
Backward Design is an instructional design method advocated primarily by
educators Grant Wiggins and Jay McTighe in their work on understanding
by design (UbD). This approach to planning curriculum and instruction
begins with the end in mind. It focuses on desired learning outcomes and
works backward to develop the curriculum, ensuring that the teaching
methods and assessments are directly aligned with the learning goals.

BACKWARD

DESIG (Source:“1.5 Using Backward Design (Event 2),”

n.d.)
 Identify Desired Results
The first step is to determine
what students should know,
understand, and be able to do by
the end of a lesson, unit, or
course. These learning objectives
are often derived from content
standards, key concepts, and
essential questions that are
crucial to the discipline and
valuable for the students' future
learning.
BACKWARD
DESIG
Determine Acceptable Evidence
This step involves deciding how
students will demonstrate their
understanding and mastery of the
identified learning outcomes. It
includes planning assessments
that are aligned with the
objectives, such as tests,
projects, presentations, or other
performance tasks. The idea is to
ensure that assessments truly
measure the intended learning
outcomes rather than just rote
memorization.
Plan Learning Experiences and
Instruction The Backward Design model emphasizes
Once the desired results and clarity and focused instruction. It is intended to
methods of assessment are clear, make educational activities more targeted and
educators design the coherent by aligning all aspects of the
instructional activities that will curriculum with the final goals, thus promoting
help students achieve the deeper understanding and retention of
learning goals. This step
knowledge.
involves selecting teaching
methods, materials, and
sequencing learning activities in
a way that will best help students
understand the content and
succeed on the assessments.
 Flexible Classrooms
These are designed with adaptable furniture and
varied workspaces that can be reconfigured to
support different types of learning activities and
interactions. This adaptability allows for
individual, small-group, and large-group
instruction, accommodating students' varying
needs for space and interaction. Such setups also
support the use of assistive technologies and
mobility aids, making the environment accessible
to all students.
FLEXIBLE CLASSROOMS AND GROUPINGS
ENVIRONME
IN LEARNING
Flexible Grouping
This strategy involves varying group compositions
for different activities or projects. Groups may be
formed based on ability, interests, or learning
styles and can change over time. This approach
allows students to work with a variety of peers,
promotes collaboration, and ensures that learning
experiences are tailored to meet individual and
group needs effectively. It enables teachers to
provide targeted instruction that can address
specific challenges or extend learning according to
student readiness.
Environment-centered learning focuses on using the physical and social
environment as a primary resource to stimulate and enhance learning. This
approach involves organizing the learning space to support various educational
activities and encourage interaction with the environment. It aims to make the
surroundings a dynamic part of the learning process, where students engage
directly with the materials and settings around them, thereby promoting active
and experiential learning.

ENVIRONMENT

LEARNING
CENTRED
Ahmad, F. K. (2015). Use of assistive technology in inclusive education: making room
for diverse learning needs. Transcience, 6(2), 62-77.
Brown-Jeffy, S., & Cooper, J. E. (2011). Toward a conceptual framework of culturally
relevant pedagogy: An overview of the conceptual and theoretical literature. Teacher
education quarterly, 38(1), 65-84.
Bielaczyc, K., & Collins, A. (2013). Learning communities in classrooms: A
reconceptualization of educational practice. In Instructional-design theories and models
(pp. 269-292). Routledge.
Castle, S., Deniz, C. B., & Tortora, M. (2005). Flexible grouping and student learning
in a high-needs school. Education and urban society, 37(2), 139-150.
Evans, M., & Boucher, A. R. (2015). Optimizing the power of choice: Supporting
student autonomy to foster motivation and engagement in learning. Mind, Brain, and
Education, 9(2), 87-91.
Landsman, J., & Lewis, C. W. (Eds.). (2023). White teachers/diverse classrooms:
Creating inclusive schools, building on students’ diversity, and providing true
educational equity. Taylor & Francis.
Luna Scott, C. (2015). The Futures of Learning 3: What kind of pedagogies for the 21st
century?.
Mackey, M., Takemae, N., Foshay, J., & Montesano, A. (2023). Experience-based UDL
applications: Overcoming barriers to learning. International Journal of Instruction,
16(3), 1127-1146.

REFEREN
Rose, D. H., Harbour, W. S., Johnston, C. S., Daley, S. G., & Abarbanell, L. (2006).
Universal design for learning in postsecondary education: Reflections on principles and
their application. Journal of postsecondary education and disability, 19(2), 135-151.

Rose, D. H., & Strangman, N. (2007). Universal design for learning: Meeting the
challenge of individual learning differences through a neurocognitive perspective.
Universal access in the information society, 5, 381-391.
Rosenshine, B. (2012). Principles of instruction: Research-based strategies that all
teachers should know. American educator, 36(1), 12.
Salend, S. J. (2010). Creating inclusive classrooms. Pearson Education.
Sanger, C. S. (2020). Inclusive pedagogy and universal design approaches for diverse
learning environments. Diversity and inclusion in global higher education: Lessons
from across Asia, 31-71.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2014). The differentiated classroom: Responding to the needs of all
learners. ASCD.
Tomlinson, C. A. (2001). How to differentiate instruction in mixed-ability classrooms.
ASCD.
1.5 Using backward design (Event 2). (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://ecampusontario.pressbooks.pub/hqoc/chapter/section-2-event-2-inform-learners-
of-the-objective-a-closer-look-at-backwards-design/

REFEREN
© Wednesday, April 24, 2024